Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 3rd Sunday of Easter.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The tenth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” There are four (4) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 987.
Our belief in the forgiveness of sins is another way to speak about salvation or being saved, God’s mercy. The Lord Jesus Christ is the unique author and dispenser of our salvation. In working out our salvation the Lord Jesus not only offered His life on Calvary, but He also instituted, founded, and established Mother Church. Part of the mystery of the Church which Jesus established are the various means which He uses to impart the salvation, forgiveness, redemption He won for us. The Catechism of Blessed John Paul II here cites the Roman Catechism of Pope Saint Pius V (1566–1572) in highlighting two (2) particular instruments which the Lord Jesus uses to give us the grace of justification: Priests and sacraments.
Priests are called “pure instruments” which God uses to “efface our iniquities.” This is not to say that priests are perfect or “pure” in themselves. We all know better than that. What this does mean is that even in spite of the particular human imperfections which any priest may have, what is important is that God is able to work through the priest who says: I baptize you… I absolve you… this is My Body… Saint Augustine (+430) in his day had to deal with a certain group of heretics called Donatists who wrongly thought that any sacraments administered by sinful clerics were therefore invalid. God is the primary actor in the sacraments. In Holy Baptism Original Sin and any sins committed up to that point are washed away. In the Sacrament of Penance (also called Confession or Reconciliation) our post-baptismal sins are forgiven. Priests are ordinary ministers of both Baptism and Penance are the pure instruments of God whereby God purifies us and makes us holy by His grace.
Sacraments are also called “pure instruments” which God uses to “efface our inequities.” When they are validly administered and received by one who is well disposed, sacraments impart God’s redeeming grace and make us holy, free from sin. That our sins are effaced is to say that they are taken away or erased. This is only possible by God’s generous and merciful grace, won on Good Friday by Christ the Lord who was faithful and obedient unto death.
To speak of grace in general or the grace of justification specifically is to speak of God’s gift. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace, His mercy, love or forgiveness. We can and should dispose ourselves to receive God’s grace. Reverent and frequent prayer and the proper disposition for reception of those channels of God’s grace which the sacraments are, received from God’s ministers, the priests, help to make us ‘right with God.’
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr